Where does “nai” come from?
nai (Romanian) comes from Persian نای, from Persian نی, from Middle Persian 𐭫𐭠, from Proto-Iranian ná, from Proto-Indo-Iranian ná, from Proto-Indo-European né — not; no.
nai (Romanian): a type of pan flute
Ancestry of “nai”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Persian | نای | reed; reed-pipe; flute, flageolet, fife |
| 2 | Persian | نی | reed; cane; straw |
| 3 | Middle Persian | 𐭫𐭠 | not; no |
| 4 | Proto-Iranian | ná | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ná | no, not |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | né | not; no |